Gimme a Call

A familiar voice on the line

BookPage review by Emily Masters

Devi Banks is nearing the end of her senior year in high school, and her boyfriend of three years, Bryan, just broke up with her. She’s hurt, angry and confused about where her life is headed. When she accidentally drops her phone into a wishing well at the mall—right after wishing she could go back in time—the phone is broken, seemingly useless, only able to call her own number. But that number reaches Devi . . . three and a half years ago.

As Senior Devi and Freshman Devi come to the realization that they are indeed talking to themselves, Senior Devi begins to instruct Freshman Devi on what to do to save herself future heartache—starting with never going out with Bryan in the first place. She then realizes she could rescue lost friendships, keep her friends from making decisions that turn out badly, concentrate on school more and get accepted to a better college. But the pressure of fixing the future starts to get to Freshman Devi as she tries new activities, fights her impulses to have fun and gets to know cute and sweet Bryan. Both Devis learn that they should focus on living in the present, and the reader learns a lot about wishing instead of living.

Sarah Mlynowski’s Gimme a Call is chick lit for teens, but the focus on a very pertinent life lesson makes it more than just a fun read. Readers will think about their own past mistakes in a new light as they see what can happen when the present is informed by the future. Mlynowski manages to make the reader root for two heroines in one, and the result is a delightful story that answers the age-old question, “If I knew then what I know now, would I change anything?” It’s up to the reader to decide as Gimme a Call offers a fun new perspective on the classic conundrum.